View Full Version : fitting a headunit into mk4 Ibiza
I realise this thread may have been covered before but I cannot find it on a search.. so..
I'm going to fit my Sony headunit into my Ibiza tomorrow morning because I can't be dealing with the crappy standard unit any longer, I was going to wait to get an Alpine unit but I would rather spend the money on other mods and make do with the unit I have already.. what i want to know is when I fit the unit is it as simple as it seems because I've heard about how when you change the unit the central locking messes up, what should I be weary of when fitting the unit and is there anything else I need besides the headunit, cage, aerial and ISO lead that came with the headunit?
any help will be much appreciated,
Nab
I've had my stereo in for nearly 18 months and my central locking is fine :)
The only extra thing you might need is an aerial amplifier. The VAG units are amplified through the headunit, whereas aftermarket units are not. Basically, without one, your radio signal is shit and if you have an RDS clock it will not work.
ok thanks.. just been out to try fitting the unit and I can't take the Alana unit out, it won't budge :(
Took mine to the dealer who removed it free of charge. Got a pioneer in mine and have had no central locking mis haps.
sorted it out now, the unit actually quite suits the car, I shall get some pics up but its only temporary, waiting for the full 2005 Alpine line up before I get a new hu :)
sportybiza
14-03-2005, 11:19
Did you have any problems regarding the depth of the replacement head unit? Just tried to fit my Kenwood into my Ibiza Sport and it's about 2cm longer than the Alana unit so sticks out!! Did you manage to remove the "Stop" at the rear or wasn't it necessary??
It wont be longer than the Alana. Its most probably all the wires caught up behind it.
Take the holder out below then you can try and feed the wires either side as your pushing the unit in.
Have you got your cage in properly?
big ALI H
14-03-2005, 13:46
Even better is to put the headunit in the lower DIN space and put the holder in the HU's original position (needs to go in upside down though). This way i personally find it looks better and your cup holder doesnt get in the way either
sportybiza
14-03-2005, 13:47
I know it shouldn't be any longer - I thought DIN was a standard size - but comparing the Alana to the Kenwood, it really is about 1cm longer. I will try removing the plastic shelf bit underneath and have another go.......
sportybiza
14-03-2005, 13:48
Is it easy to swap them over? Does anything major have to be done??
Nope. Just pull hard on the bottom holder and it will come out. Then wack the cage in the bottom and put the holder in the top :)
Although there will be no support for the rubber thing to go in but it shouldnt matter.
BTW does any ones aftermarket cd player skip in their Ibiza?
sportybiza
14-03-2005, 13:52
Thanks.... I'll have a go at doing that later
big ALI H
14-03-2005, 13:53
BTW does any ones aftermarket cd player skip in their Ibiza?
Only when i hit speed bumps at 60+ mph :bleh: :p
Mine skips quite a lot. Its a new HU as well :(
mine does skip sometimes but I know that it's because the headunit needs repairing, I'm not too bothered though because I'm changing it soon :)
Only when i hit speed bumps at 60+ mph :bleh: :p
Dito :cheers:
loonymoon
05-11-2006, 22:00
Ok, I resurrected this post to ask a really dim question...sorry!!
I am hopefully getting a new HU soon. I have a mk4 Ibiza with standard ALANA HU. I read somewhere else in here that to get the Alana out there are two small slots underneath the '1' and 'scan' buttons that you need to put a thin tool in to release the unit. So that's ok "SEARCH" sorted that..
But my q is.. and this is probably really dim but what else do I need other than the HU. Someone mentioned a cage but do I have to buy one or should there be one that was supporting the ALANA unit?? Also is the radio really that awful without a booster as I'll probably have to think about adding this in at the same time. Is there anything else I need to buy to complete the installation?
gazjones
05-11-2006, 22:12
you will need that cage that the new headunit sits in but that will come with other head unit so thats not a prob as for booster it works fine for me or did till i cut my areal off to make it smaller
Depends what radio reception is like by you and what station you listen to - in a low signal areas listening to a local station you'll probably really struggle without a booster, but with Radio 1 in a good area you'll probably be fine ;)
tommmineh
06-11-2006, 09:30
Someone needs to create a sticky about this :rolleyes:
loonymoon
09-11-2006, 00:29
Depends what radio reception is like by you and what station you listen to - in a low signal areas listening to a local station you'll probably really struggle without a booster, but with Radio 1 in a good area you'll probably be fine ;)
One more question.. If I do decide I need a booster can I get one online anywhere? Or do I need to go to a specialist store. Are they simply a plug in fit behind the car stereo?
I looked at a website (sometimes the internet is not the best thing to aid confusion!) and this is what they say I need for a SEAT ibiza 2002-on: http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/index.php?cPath=292_314_571
Do I really need this stuff ( like aerial and iso adapters) or are they just trying to get money out of me when (according to everyone here) I don't need it.
loonymoon
25-11-2006, 17:34
OK. So this is a late post just in case anyone ever searches for how to remove the ALANA headunit from the Ibiza mk4.
I got my JVC headunit and eventually we managed to figure out how the ALANA unit is clipped into the dash...
To get the ALANA unit out, first remove the tray from underneath (give it a good pull and it comes out easily).
If you haven't got the SEAT tool, a thin piece of metal or plastic that will fit into the slots under the 1 and SCAN keys is best. Preferably this should have a notch cut in the end or a point.
There are two clips on the side of the ALANA unit that are levered by a vertical piece of metal behind the slots. So what you have to do is push the piece of metal in towards the centre of the unit to release the clips at the side. You can pull the unit from underneath if the tray is not there.
For my JVC headunit I needed an aerial Iso adaptor (about £2ish from Halfords). As far as I can tell so far that's all I needed. Some people have reported that they needed to swap the red and yellow wires on the iso connector around to stop it losing memory when the ignition is off, but that doesn't seem to be the case with mine.
rashcupra
25-11-2006, 19:14
to get my headunit out (alana) i used two cable tires as keys straight out job done no damage!
To get the ALANA unit out, first remove the tray from underneath (give it a good pull and it comes out easily).
I've tried pulling out the tray and it doesnt seem to wanna budge, any ideas? I've tried as hard as i dare for fear of breaking it! :(
just give it a good tug mate :) get your fingers in the venting holes (squere cutouts) for grip theres a round 4 pronged clip in the middle, if you brake at bit off you can always glue it back on or do what i done, rap a few layers of duck/gaffer tape round the out side to make i really snug fit, no rattle, no fuss and it's still easily removed if need be.
tommmineh
24-12-2006, 11:52
Yup, practically everything on this car comes loose with a good pull!
rashcupra
24-12-2006, 12:22
Plastic Everything
apart from the bl**dy boot surround:censored:
gazjones
24-12-2006, 15:32
nah that comes apart with pulling it!
yeah i just about manage to get it off with only breaking one bit:cry:
rashcupra
25-12-2006, 11:54
just give it a good tug mate :) get your fingers in the venting holes (squere cutouts) for grip theres a round 4 pronged clip in the middle, if you brake at bit off you can always glue it back on or do what i done, rap a few layers of duck/gaffer tape round the out side to make i really snug fit, no rattle, no fuss and it's still easily removed if need be.
not more ducktape :)
RichieRich
25-12-2006, 13:35
For sony and kenwod u will have to change over the red and yellow wires or u will loose all your settings... behind the hu is a standard ISO plug ten the aftermarket one fits straight into it,u will have to get a aerial adapter to.. the cubby hole under the head unit comes out better by bending down the top bit a bit then pull on it as it has notches in the top...if u are running amps in the boot put the cables rca's,rem,speaker wires down the drivers side and the power one down the passenger side (no interferrence) if u get the propper keys the hu will pull straight out with them... anythink else just ask... :)
cheers for the advice, ill give that a go :) i dont have the proper keys but i do have an old credit card i can chop up so i can give that a go too.
cheers for the advice, ill give that a go :) i dont have the proper keys but i do have an old credit card i can chop up so i can give that a go too.
mainly cos it's maxed out on mods lol
and rash BTW nothing wrong with ducktape:D
done it! :D first attempt at anything like that and the new head unit works a treat! Thanks for all ur helpful hints/tips :)
well done mate. i actually paid for mine to be done:whistle:
loonymoon
25-12-2006, 18:09
In the end I had to swap the red and yellow wires on my JVC too. It fooled me by having a backup battery, so it kept radio stations. But it forgot where it was in a disc and demo mode kept switching back on. It's fine now I've swapped the wires.
Oh and merry Christmas!
i had to swap red n yellow wires too. Was a bit of a pain tryin to get the cables far enough out the way to slide it back tho! I didnt fancy takin my glovebox apart lol.. i swapped the position of the head unit too, its now in the lower slot. I dont have the rubber mat part for the spare din slot tho, it never came with my car so ive got the venting holes on the bottom now :rolleyes: nothings ever simple
no i noticed the rubber mat on a courtesy car i had, but i haven't had it on either of my MK4's, should have just swiped it lol,
ps i also went for the lower din cos of the flip screen on mine covering the drinks holder and my origin B2http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n306/davels_2006/Photo-0016.jpg
rashcupra
26-12-2006, 15:22
was gonna get a flip t.v screen with freeview and dvd player tochscrenn sat nav and loads more!! but decided against it as id hardley ever use it specially for 1500quid i think i got quoted :wtf: as long as the duck tape is hidden lol ;)
loonymoon
26-12-2006, 17:30
i had to swap red n yellow wires too. Was a bit of a pain tryin to get the cables far enough out the way to slide it back tho! I didnt fancy takin my glovebox apart lol.. i swapped the position of the head unit too, its now in the lower slot. I dont have the rubber mat part for the spare din slot tho, it never came with my car so ive got the venting holes on the bottom now :rolleyes: nothings ever simple
Yeah the venting holes do end up at the bottom. I just picked up one of those non-slip dash mats and cut to fit. Doesn't look too bad and works well to stop stuff sliding out. Much better having the stereo in the lower slot. [B)]
Glad you managed to sort it Rich - :funk:
was gonna get a flip t.v screen with freeview and dvd player tochscrenn sat nav and loads more!! but decided against it as id hardley ever use it specially for 1500quid i think i got quoted :wtf: as long as the duck tape is hidden lol ;)
:p
i paid £475 for my headunit, built in DVD/mp3 player it can have any freeview box fitted just needs adapter, as for touch screen sat nav well i have a tom tom for that:)
squirt_1987
13-04-2007, 21:00
Yea i had 2 swap the din trays around, so my HU is on top now. about the red/yellow wires, i got a pioneer HU, and had the same prob with it, but swapped them and it worked fine, i'm still havin trouble getting my wires for amp/sub to fit sumwher simple, without having to unscrew the whole interior! lol any ideas?
Guinness
13-04-2007, 21:58
could try unscrewing glove box and putting hand round back to wiggle cables has been coverd before if u need any more info
Hi there,
Sorry to bump an old thread, but thought it was better than making a new one!
Basically, I bought a Kenwood CD player to replace the standard fit unit. How do I "change the yellow and red wires"?
Do I need to solder them out and back in again, or can these little cables be just popped out? Scared of breaking something!
Also, it seems like I need an Aeriel adaptor. The standard Ibiza one is a little stubby one, and the back of the Kenwood has a long deep slot for it to go into - it just doesnt fit! Any advice?
loonymoon
04-01-2008, 12:37
Hi there,
On my JVC head unit there was a plug connector which just had the red and yellow wires on, one of them didn't actually go anywhere. I just turned the connector round and plugged it in so that the red wire from the car met the yellow wire from the HU and vice-versa - easy peasy. I just forgot to disconnect the battery and got a rather large spark when I switched it round... OOPS, the HU was fine though.
As for the aerial, you can get adapters in Halfords for a couple of quid. we found one quite easily.
The only problem I have is that I think there's an aerial booster built into the old Alana HU, and the signals are much weaker now with the new HU, but you can usually find a decent station!!
RichieRich
04-01-2008, 17:46
just leave ya keys out the ignition and you will be fine without disconnecting the batt... you can pull the connectors out of the plastic just hold it as low as u can with long nose plyers... dont yours have bullet connectors in the wires then? yes its just a female to male arial adapter or the other way round... get one very cheap if u look... my signal is not to bad but i live in the middle of no were and my home radio's struggle to pick the signals up... so i dont expect my car one to fully work.. :)
Matt_TDI
04-01-2008, 18:13
or just pay an auto electrician £10-£20 and saves you the hassle.
RichieRich
04-01-2008, 18:41
Yea i had 2 swap the din trays around, so my HU is on top now. about the red/yellow wires, i got a pioneer HU, and had the same prob with it, but swapped them and it worked fine, i'm still havin trouble getting my wires for amp/sub to fit sumwher simple, without having to unscrew the whole interior! lol any ideas?
you shouldt have any probs gettin ur cables to the hu, i have 3 sets off rca outputs and one set input plus 10 gauge speaker wire going into the oem speaker block i didt use a screwdriver once :) all looks like its standard except the hu and whats in the boot... no wires seen :)
tequilan
25-02-2008, 20:24
ressurecting this thread once again - i was just wondering if anybody has the steering wheel hu controls - i want a new hu but want to keep the wheel controls - is this possible? i used to have a pioneer hu in my last car and i think it had something for this, but cant remember.......
RichieRich
25-02-2008, 20:28
yeah its possible with adapters there is treads on here with the links to what u need to do it u need two different bits to manage it i have still have not put my adapters in as it stated to HU and my kenwood hu has numberous wires i could attach it to.. :( any1 know which i should put it to?
littleripa
19-03-2008, 21:17
My '54 Cupra came with a Pioneer head unit with Bluetooth for mobile calls etc. When I turn off the ignition the head unit stays on, even if I turn the HU off the Bluetooth standby light flashes, if I walk past the car later in the day my phone connects back to the car so it isn't turning totally off despite turning the HU off. Only way to turn it off is if I go into sub menus to disconnect from the phone manually or pull the front facia off. Bit of a pain in the ar$e.
So my question is... Does the Ibiza have an ACC position on the ignition that can turn the HU on and off? If so what colour is it so I can try and pick it up.
Cheers!
littleripa
19-03-2008, 22:12
One other related thing... Just been reading through other threads and realise I may have altered my central locking.
Whilst tinkering with HU wires the central locking triggered, now when I stop the engine and take out the key I have to double pull the door handle (only side effect I can tell). Is this normal, seem to remember it unlocked itself but I haven't had the car long enough to know really. Can it be reset easily?
RichieRich
20-03-2008, 08:18
littleripa maybe try pulling the hu out and swop the red and yellow wires, permanant positive to switched positive, i had to do this on my kenwood hu... and yes you can reset the central locking to automaticly unlock when you pull the key out and i dont know why the hu effected the central locking... i hope this helps you out :)
littleripa
20-03-2008, 12:12
Cheers RR, swapping these wires is what seemed to trigger the locking and the HU would not turn on once swapped around. I wondered if the Cupra alarm thought I was trying to hotwire it or something??
So the Ibiza does have a switched feed and it will turn the HU on/off from the ignition key, will have to have another play around. Maybe ask a few friends for advice, often in these situations there is something blindingly obvious staring at you which you miss.
How do you reset the CL? I read you need the std HU in the car to do this (which I don't have).
Mine skips quite a lot. Its a new HU as well :(
Sup everyone. I just got a 2006 Seat Cupra 19tDi. I want to remove the HU, (ALANA) and install my Rockford from my previous vehicle. Could someone please explain in detail, how to remove the piec 'o crap thats in there at the moment.?
Grapo, reason why I quoted you in was, I have learnt that, with many HU's, if you mount it a the slightest wrong angle, it tends to skip quite allot. It happened with my Giga Panel in one Vehicle, then installed it for the guy I sold it to, and he didnt have one day's problem. This seemed weird, all that changed was the car, so yeah, maybe thats why!
canonman
14-05-2008, 21:20
anyone got one of these ?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/boseman/seatibiza_1.jpg
No, but that looks raher nice!!
canonman
15-05-2008, 11:51
haha looks like normal fit thats why I want one.
RichieRich
15-05-2008, 20:13
it looks normal fit to me as the surrounds are not straight and theres no gaps around that at all! looks good! thinks about the cost umm No! :(
Does look good and not that pricey http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/8069.html
Guys, how do I upload pics of my installed hu? I uploaded sum pics to photobucket...and from there?
yeh just copy past the photobucket link into the insert url bit on here to insert image. I'm getting a new headunit today yay! Had to tell someone who cares!